Children’s Health – What We Need To Know

According to Ohio University, “Children in the US may not be facing the kinds of afflictions that kids in less developed countries are facing, but that does not mean the lives of American children are perfect.”

Despite being labeled as one of the wealthiest places to live, the U.S. still has some issues it needs to fix surrounding healthcare for children and the way children are treated. For starters, 1 in 19 children were left uninsured last year, which equates to more than 3.9 million kids being left without insurance. To make matters worse, children who live in lower-income neighborhoods don’t normally have access to proper treatment from healthcare professionals compared to those who live in upper-middle-class neighborhoods.

This, unfortunately, increases the gap between socioeconomic classes and puts the United States at the top of the child poverty list when compared to other developed countries. That said, when it comes to a child’s health, support can help improve their health and increase their knowledge about certain topics. As a nation, we need to create a system that works for all children and benefits them in a number of ways. How can we do this? By focusing on the child and making them our number one priority.

What We Need to Know

How a Child’s Happiness, Health, and Safety Affects Them: Regardless of where your child lives, their happiness, health, and safety are things that should be viewed as non-negotiable elements. Making sure that your child experiences a happy, safe, and nurturing environment is extremely beneficial to their overall well-being.

In fact, it can have a positive effect on their childhood and give them the chance to avoid living in a stressful environment. If a child is subjected to a toxic, stressful environment, he is she is much more likely to develop a low threshold for stress. This may cause the child to become overly reactive to certain experiences, causing his or her health to decline at an early age.

Things like abuse, neglect, or mistreatment, for example, are all things that can negatively impact the child’s health. This type of environment can also lead to unwanted trauma, which impacts the development of the brain and impairs the connection between brain circuits.

The Role Education Plays in a Child’s Life: When it comes to a health, educating children is just as important as educating their parents. That’s because we want children to be up to date with current events and have the ability to share what they learned with peers. Remember, education is a human right, not merely a privilege—therefore, it should play a major factor in the development of children and the communities in which they live.

So, what are some things children can be educated on regarding their health? Well, it depends on the child’s age and circumstance. Children with disabilities, for example, might need to know about their condition to protect themselves when they’re away from their parents. Children who are becoming teenagers might need to be educated on other topics—sex education being the most common and the most difficult.

Regardless of the situation, education is key for children of all ages. It can help them break away from poverty, find resources to improve their health, and reduce the chances of them contracting diseases by being sexually active. Education also helps the parent as well, since it can help them care for their child properly and make the link between education and health much easier for them to understand.

The Importance of Healthcare for a Child: As a society, we know how often issues surrounding healthcare are talked about. Whether you’re listening to the news, sitting at your desk at work, or just hanging out at a coffee shop, you’ll likely hear the word “healthcare” come up once or twice. Despite all the talk going on about healthcare, more than 3.9 million kids are still left without insurance, which is a major problem. Why? Well, because healthcare for children is imperative to their overall health in the long run. It’s a hard truth that can’t and shouldn’t be ignored.

Young children, for instance, are much more likely to get sick than adults, and although some of us have heard the jokes stating that children can bounce back from certain illnesses, the truth is this saying doesn’t apply to all illnesses and diseases. Children can experience serious problems if they’re sick or injured, and conditions can get even worse if the child doesn’t have healthcare coverage. That’s because their immune system is still in the developing stage, which means even a minor illness could threaten their life if left untreated. Additionally, common things like ear infections could lead to permanent consequence, if not properly taken care of or treated.

In the end, healthcare insurance for your child can be expensive, but there are affordable plans and government programs in place that can help. So be sure to look at your options. After all, these plans are designed to help children reach adulthood and enjoy a long, fruitful life.